chriszs
commented
4 years ago (This is a draft project application intended to serve as a discussion point, generate interest from other potential collaborators.)
Closed chriszs closed 2 years ago
chriszs
commented
4 years ago (This is a draft project application intended to serve as a discussion point, generate interest from other potential collaborators.)
chriszs
commented
4 years ago If we hold a gallery showing in D.C. we could invite the FOIA officers.
chriszs
commented
4 years ago Just had a tweet exchange with friend of the factory Steven Rich which informed how I think of this proposal.
Steven:
tfw an agency apologizes profusely for missing its #FOIA deadline by one day while several others are just completely ignoring your request
Me:
IRE gives agencies golden padlocks for recalcitrance, we ought to consider medals for the alternative
Steven:
I agree. I like to give credit where due and I thank good #FOIA folks whenever I can.
This got me thinking about how in some places FOI officers get fired or intimidated. Some inherited long backlogs of thanklessness. And they get yelled at by reporters a lot. Some deserve it, some not so much. There's an opportunity to celebrate folks doing the right thing under difficult circumstances, even as we chide those who give us grief.
I HEREBY INVOKE MY RIGHTS...
As described in section 11.11.B of the BIFFUD Corporate Bylaws I hereby invoke my rights as a sentient being who has not uploaded their mind to the cloud for consideration of this project application by the BIFFUD Hive Mind. With this application I submit my interest in becoming a Member of BIFFUD and having this project supported and adored by all who can 🤔.
Project Information
Project Description
Redacted FOIA responses have recently gained currency as a kind of art. One of the world's largest bureaucracies invites you to imagine its secrets — hidden through the application of black rectangles — by interpreting the intriguing fragments of information left over. This project would convert this currency into money for worthwhile journalism nonprofits by selling the bureaucracies' creations to the public.
(Side note: Does this tie into #98 somehow? It's okay if it doesn't.)
Bylaw Questions
How is this project a bad idea?
This might undermine the fee waiver language journalists insert into FOIA requests to argue the government agencies shouldn't charge them to produce the responses.
If this project were a D&D Character, what alignment would it be and why?
Alignment (CHOOSE ONE):
Where are the lulz?
Here or perhaps here.
How does this project make people thinking face emoji?
Can anonymous government employees be inadvertent artists? Or is all art intentional?
Who is involved?
Who will be the project's Comptroller?
Chris Zubak-Skees
Is this realistic to implement via BIFFUD?
Maybe? Needs a fiscal sponsor, ideally an organization that can collect proceeds and forward those to charities picked by the participants. It'd be good if this was tax-deductible, but acceptable if it wasn't. BIF might play an organizing, creative role.
Next Steps
Step 1. Attend the next scheduled BIFFUD plotting session to plead your case. Step 2. Talk to Ted, Mike, maybe MuckRock, and others in the journalism community. See if we can get a critical mass of people willing to get people to part with their best FOIAs for a good cause. Though to really sell it and make sure we're not yanking everyone around we should nail down, Step 3. Identify a fiscal sponsor willing to lend this project some legitimacy, deal with some of the money logistics, Step 4. Get commitments from journalists willing to donate FOIA responses. Curate said FOIAs. Step 5. Optionally find, price out a gallery showing of FOIAs. Each would be displayed with a placard with the name of the requester, government agency and which nonprofit the proceeds go to. The main purpose of this is to generate publicity for, Step 6. Set up a nicely designed Shopify site to sell the FOIAs.
How (often) will you be providing updates to the organization?
Once a month.